Sunday, 1 April 2007
Today is Palm Sunday
– The start of the Passion Week
– The day Jesus entered into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, not on a horse or chariot)
He came as the King of peace
– In 5 days time, Jesus would be crucified on Good Friday
The message of the cross was foolishness to the Greek & a stumbling block to the Jews (1 Cor 1.23)
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The Call to Radical Discipleship
Why radical discipleship?
Jesus is a Radical
– Who being in very nature God
. . . made himself nothing
. . . taking the very nature of a servant
. . .he humbled himself &
. . .became obedient to death—
. . . even death on a (Roman) cross! (Phi 2.6-8)
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Jesus the Radical LORD called us
to take up our cross
and followed Him
Luke 14.25-35
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The Radical Disciple & His Cross
Large crowds were travelling with Jesus (v.25)
Being a member of a crowd or being a radical disciple of Jesus?
Three Things distinguished a Radical Disciple of Jesus
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3 Crucial Areas of Our Life
Personal Relationship (Luke 14.26)
Personal Goals & Desires (Luke14.27)
Personal Possessions (Luke 14.33)
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Realignment Our Priority
If anyone comes to me and
does not hate his father and mother,
,his wife and children, his brothers and
sisters—yea even his own life—he CANNOT be my disciple
(v.26)
Putting Jesus and His agenda, His mission, our top priority
Today who compete with your loyalty to Jesus?
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Releasing Our Goals & Desires
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple (v.27)
In the times of Jesus, there is not mistaking to any passer-by that a person carrying the Roman cross is heading—it meant certain death
“The subject is commitment, a high level of consecration on the part of those who wish to be disciples of Jesus”
The eg. of Abraham in the OT (Gen 22.1-2)
– Dying to our own dreams and desires
– To find God’s true destiny for yours and mine
The film-Armageddon (calling a select group of men and woman to give up their own ambition in order to save the earth from being hit by a huge meteorite)
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As you think through the major decision you have made, have they please the Lord or fed your ego.
Have you taken your goal before the Lord for His approval? Are you willing to change?
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Relinquishing Our Possessions
“So therefore, no one of you can be my disciple who does not give up all his own possessions” (Luke 14.33)
Things! These takes so much of our times and energies
Things must not allowed to possess us, i.e. to be our Master or become our idol
We become slaves to them—their wish is our command
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BE FREE & CLAIM YOUR DESTINY
Realigning Our Priority
Releasing Our Goals & Desires
Relinquishing Our Possessions
Why?
The Time is Near!
The World will be Destroyed
Jesus is Coming!
A New World Coming
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"Father, I want to know Thee, but my coward heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleedings, and I do not hide from Thee the terror of parting. I come trembling, but I do come.
Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thy may enter and dwell there without a rival. Then shall my heart has not need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself shall be my light, and there shall be no night there”
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